Closer
by SinsofMidnight
Summary: Ichigo has to do a couple routine at the club. When Keena asks him to be her partner, he accepts. She recommends the song at once, but he's beginning to dream about getting "closer". *Previous chapters have been revised. Enjoy!* Ichigo/OC Rated M for lemony goodness, wet dreams, lyrics and strippers.
1. Chapter 1

_I hope you loves will enjoy this one :P_

_It was originally posted February 2011, so I thought it might be time for an update :heart:_

* * *

**Closer**

**_Fandom:_**_ Bleach_

**_Teaser:_**_"She gave me a softer smile, like something very sensitive and fragile had changed for the better in that instant. Then she stood on her toes to wrap her arms around me and hug me tightly before brushing her soft lips against my cheek. 'Great. I'll run it by Shunsuì and have him approve it.'  
When she stepped back, I felt a little lost without her body heat. I felt the loss somewhere deep in my bones. _Wow. I find out she's straight and suddenly I'm a romantic-period poet with the libido of a horny teenager_."_

**_Inspiration:_**_ My current fascination with Ichigo being a stripper, and "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails._

**_Rating: _**_M, because… well, because Renji's in this, alright?_

**_Warnings:  
_**_-Strippers  
-Swearing  
-Risqué lyrics  
-Wet dreams  
-Being a tease  
-General gayness despite my hetero pairing._

**_ Main Pairing: _**_Ichigo Kurosaki/ OC (Keena )_

**_Minor Pairings:_**_  
-Renji Abari/Shuei Hisagi  
-Shunsuì /Jūshiro Ukitake_

**_Setting: _**_AU! It doesn't fit in with any of my other Bleach AUs, either, lol. I'm so lame about that ._

**_POV:_**_ Keena hogs the spotlight, but Renji has a turn, as does Ichigo. All first person perspectives._

**_Summary: _**_Ichigo has to do a couple routine at the club. When Keena asks him to be her partner, he accepts. She recommends the song at once, but he's beginning to dream about getting "closer"._

**_Additional ANs:_**_ OH MY GOD! It's HETERO! What am I _thinking_? Lol There's still a lot of gayness to be found :P For example, Renji and Shuei lmao Just wait until someone walks in on those two XD  
__I hope you enjoy this madness. It is fun as all hell to write! :heart:_  


**_Universe:_**_**"Temptation" Universe **This AU involves a club called Temptation (its name is not yet mentioned in the story) that is managed by Shunsui and the strippers who work there, including Renji, Ichigo, Shuei, and my female OC, Keena._

* * *

_Keena:_

Ichigo glared at Shunsuì, our boss, in anger. "Damn it, you _know_ I work best alone!"

I couldn't help but smile at that. He certainly did _incredible_ work alone. I always took the time to watch him dance ever since he started here at this supposedly gay club that catered to all sexual preferences, anyway. What the customers didn't know was that some of us –okay, all of two of us, being Ichigo and myself– were straighter than most arrows.

Shunsuì released a heavy sigh that I, myself, had caused several times. It meant he was on the verge of smacking someone but still contemplating if they were worth the effort. I had to wonder just what Ichigo had been doing to wind him up that much: Shunsuì was normally _infinitely_ patient. "Ichi, we're just trying this out. If our audience reception isn't what we hope, you can go back to dancing alone. You homophobe."

"Bastard! I'm not a homophobe. I work at a gay bar, and I live with my gay best friend," Ichigo hissed back, leaning over the desk to glower at Shunsuì more effectively.

Shunsuì was more than aware of both of those facts; he just _really_ liked teasing Ichigo, no matter the situation.

I figured this was the best time to make my presence known, before Ichigo threw a punch at our boss and Shunsuì handed Ichigo his ass. I knocked on the open door, but slipped inside the boss's office without even waiting for an answer. He wouldn't mind, anyway. "Hey, boss. You wanted to see me?" I looked at the other man in the office, pretending to notice him for the first time and offering him a smile and a greeting. "Oh, hi, Ichi-kun."

Shunsuì smiled fondly at me, not even bothering to hide his relief at seeing me. He really didn't like to get in trouble with the owner for punching out the employees. "Keena. We're doing a couple routine as a bit of a promotional thing. You were at school when I told the others."

I smiled at our manager. "Do we get to choose our own partners, or will you be assigning them?"

"You guys can choose," he returned. "You can pick someone you'll work well with better than I can. But the pairs will have to be approved by me." He smiled lazily. "Why? Do you have someone in mind?"

I gave him my cat-who-got-into-the-cream smile. "Depends on a few elements, like whether or not they already have a partner." I looked over at the strawberry-blond. "Hey, Ichi-kun, would you walk me home tonight?"

He knew I had to walk through a dangerous part of the city. Ichigo was one hell of a fighter _and_ chivalrous to the bone, especially since he had two little sisters at home yet. He smiled at me. "Sure, Kee-chan."

I saluted Shunsuì. "See ya, boss-man."

He leaned over his desk and kissed my cheek affectionately. "Behave, Keena."

"Do I have to?" I purred back, smiling wickedly at him.

He nodded sternly, then winked at me as we left. Maybe this situation could help me get closer to Ichigo. I couldn't help but smile at the thought.

* * *

_Ichigo:_

Keena looked ridiculously pleased with herself for some reason that was still escaping my notice. I felt the need to investigate it a little.

"You got someone in mind for the couple routine?" she asked me pleasantly before I had a chance to ask her anything.

I shook my head. "It's weird. I mean, I'm really comfortable with everyone, but I really don't wanna dance with any of the guys. I mean, I'm not gay, but most of the others are, so dancing together seems… a little too intimate and bordering on 'being a psychotic tease'."

She laughed softly but not mockingly, like she understood where I was coming from. The tone was both pretty and melodic. "Dance with me, Ichigo."

I couldn't help but stare at her. "Aren't you…? I mean, I thought you were…"

She smiled wryly at my stumbling tongue. "No, I'm at least as straight as you are, my dear."

She'd always been spectacular to look at, but I was suddenly intensely aware of just how _beautiful_ she was. She had mile-long legs, a hip-long braid of crimson hair, brilliant green eyes, curves to make any straight man drool, and cream-colored skin that flushed easily when she exerted herself or when she was embarrassed. She was incredibly beautiful, but her sparkling personality was highly attractive as well. She'd always cut a very striking figure, but I'd thought she was with Tia.

She didn't seem to notice my careful perusal, how my eyes traced the lines of her body and how my hands ached to do the same. "It's a common misconception: folks tend to think that I'm gay because of where I work, who my friends are, and my general lack of a social life, but when they ask, I do set them straight." That smile found its way back to her lips. "So dance with me."

"Sure." The word slipped out of my mouth without checking in with my brain.

She gave me a softer smile, like something very sensitive and fragile had changed for the better in that instant. Then she stood on her toes to wrap her arms around me and hug me tightly before brushing her soft lips against my cheek. "Great. I'll run it by Shunsuì and have him approve it."

When she stepped back, I felt a little lost without her body heat. I felt the loss somewhere deep in my bones. _Wow. I find out she's straight and suddenly I'm a romantic-period poet with the libido of a horny teenager._ "What song do you think would we should use?" I asked, pausing for a moment to brainstorm. "We could do 'Smooth'," I suggested.

"Nah, I don't think I can strip to that one; sorry," she returned, chuckling as though she had some contrary memories attached to the song. "…Have you ever heard 'Closer' by Nine Inch Nails?" she asked me slowly.

"I'm… familiar with the way it sounds, I think." The song had a very sensual sound. As per usual, Kenna had terrific taste in music.

Her lips quirked back into an almost sensual smile. "The lyrics are more than a bit risqué. I would have used the song on my own, but I think the song needs a _male_ dancer." She tapped her fingers on my chest playfully. "Which is where you come in."

I couldn't help but smile at her. It seemed she might already have all of this planned out. "Well, unless we have the chemistry, this it's gonna bomb."

Her soft, genuine smile slipped across her lips as she realized I was playing devil's advocate and I realize that we'd been standing in front of her apartment complex for some time now, just talking. "Oh, I'm pretty sure we'll have it, Ichi. Do you care to come up for some tea? We can talk about this a little more and you can hear the song before we make up our minds."

My breath caught in my throat at her invitation. _You idiot,_ I scolded myself. _It's for work. Not everybody thinks with their libido as much as you have been tonight!_ "Sure Kee-chan," I returned, trying to hide my own reaction with the simple words.

The sweet smile on her lips wouldn't tell me if I had succeeded or failed.

* * *

**Muwahaha! That is chapter one! I hope you like where I'm headed with this :) It's fun as hell to write! **

**Please review and tell me what you do/don't like! If I get no reviews, I will not post anymore!**

* * *

_Revised November 2012_


	2. Chapter 2

**_ANs: _**_She has a Lennox-based computer. It's sort of like Windows 7 and the current Mac OS, only easier to operate (in my personal experience) and a great deal older :) Rhythm Box is the default media player on that OS._

* * *

_Keena:_

Ichigo stretched out on my couch, wincing at the stiffness in his back. I ached in sympathy, knowing that it came from pouring over some book for an excessive amount of time–usually textbooks caused that kind of pain in my back. My hands itched to knead and sooth his aching muscles until he was comfortable once more, but through some act of god, I managed to keep my hands to myself.

My chosen method of distracting myself was to brew some tea for us, but that distraction ended when I set the tea down on the coffee table –one cup in front of him, and the other in front of me. Trying not to sigh heavily and have my frustration mistaken for something else, I took up a comfortable position in the armchair to his right.

My laptop lay on the coffee table, so I reached for it. Fumbling with the power button, I woke it from hibernation mode and had to type in my password again. Smiling, I opened the Rhythm Box program and searched for the song I wanted before looking back over at my guest.

Ichigo had sat up since I had sat down. He looked out over the rim of the black mug as he took a drink of his tea. I liked the surprised look on his face when he tasted it: I had brewed red tea instead of green and I managed to surprise him. Red tea had a slight floral scent and a sweeter taste than green tea, and I was also pleased to see that this substitution pleased him once he got over the initial shock.

Renji had told me that Ichigo didn't fancy green tea as much as he let on that he did. I was glad that I had something that was pleasing to his tastes.

I couldn't hold back my smile. I was honestly too pleased by this fact. In all honesty, I barely remembered why I had looked for this song on my computer. When I did remember, however, I wanted to blush, but I hoped my fickle complexion would choose not to show it. What business did I have introducing a man I liked to a song this… blatant and sexual on the first night he knew that I could be part of his dating pool?

"This is the song, Ichigo," I told him, not bothering to warn him about the content because I _knew_ I would blush and stutter.

When I hit play, the heart-beat like rhythm filled the room before the lyrics began. I tried to focus on anything in the room I could direct my gaze to, _anything_ but his face, because I knew that when it got to the chorus, I would be unable to prevent my blush.

Instead, I stared at my computer and tried to appear totally unaffected by the lyrics, the sound of the song, his proximity, and the dizzying combination of all three. Either element, within itself, could have affected me. All three of them, all together and all at once, had me fighting to sit still.

To avoid squirming, I rolled my shoulders back, concentrating on the motion and on the feel of the muscles and their movements until it became background noise in my mind.

The sensual lyrics permeated the room like too much perfume. When the song came to a close, Ichigo sat there, slack-jawed.

"I had no _idea_ the lyrics were that graphic," he murmured.

I wasn't sure what stunned him more: the lyrics, or the fact that I knew –and had a copy of– a song with lyrics like this one. Or, that I openly shared both with a heterosexual male while we were alone in my apartment. _Sometimes, I wonder if the risks I take are brave or incredibly stupid._

"Despite its graphic nature, this song would fit the role we need it to. It's got a great rhythm and it won't be hard to come up with a dance to fit the song's " _—Blatant sexual language, _I mused– "sensuality," I returned softly. "We'll need a lot of practice together, for us to learn the way out partner moves, the way the moves fit together, and the way to make it all look good."

Something inside of my purred with happiness. I was going to love working closely with this sexy man. But the worrywart in me was getting the best of me. How smart was it to choose a partner to which I was extremely attracted? How did I keep myself from crossing the line between my professional life and my private life?

_You can't blame him,_ a voice in my head taunted. _You're the one who asked him; he just accepted the offer._

He nodded slowly, his mind at least still where it needed to be. "We need to be careful to not smother each other, but do we really have the chemistry we need? I mean, especially with a song like this, chemistry can be the difference between rocking it and falling flat on our faces."

I loved his straight-forward nature. "Well, let's see if we have it, Ichi." I scanned quickly through the music on my playlist and selected something with an appropriate rhythm. Unfortunately, when I pressed play, I remembered that the lyrics were almost as lurid and sensual as "Closer".

_Oh well. Damn it, we'll have to dance to something like this anyway. If we can't get past it, we'll have to change our song, anyway._

Ichigo smirked at me as the beat picked up. "'S&M'?" he questioned.

I wanted to blush. "Shut up and dance, boy. This isn't about my _tasteful_ selection of music," I practically growled, more than a little defensive on the matter.

He laughed and stood, extending his hand to help me up.

I refused his hand and stood on my own. Still a little mad, I shoved the sofa against the wall with a little more force than necessary. Next was the coffee table, which got shoved up next to the sofa, and the chairs, which got shoved to east and west walls. Silently, I thanked my father for convincing me to get the furniture-slider doo-dads. I'd rather not scratch the hardwood each time I did this. What this did was give us a relatively small dance floor in my living room. Now, it might have been a bit small, but there was certainly room to move.

With that job complete and the lyrics already reaching out into the room with tantalizing fingers, I turned to look at Ichigo, stepping to him with the hip shimmy of a belly dancer. Moving ever closer, I grinned wickedly before rolling my body and stepping closer. His expression became less playful and darker, almost as though he could feel my want reflected through the music. When our bodies pressed together, I wanted to shiver.

Instead, I pressed forward, forcing him to step back. Then I shimmied backward, twisting my arm out until I could beckon him to follow. The way he strode purposefully forward, his hands reaching for my body like having it pressed against him would bring him closer to nirvana, the darkening of his gaze –all of it made me want to melt into a puddle of need on my floor.

Knowing _that_ wasn't an option, I leaned forward before arching back, emphasizing the presence of my breasts and taunting him with the fact they weren't within his reach. He stepped forward, unafraid of using a hip shimmy to attempt to beckon me closer to him. My hands itched to slid down his sides, so I allowed him to catch me, working his hips all the while.

I gave a satisfied smile when he was within my reach. Stepping forward, I pressed my body tightly against his. Laying my hands on his shoulders, I slid them downward slowly, caressing the warm hardness of his chest as far as I could and enjoying being pressed against the rest of it. his arms were quick to encircle me and keep me pressed against him.

I took a small, tentative step back, curious to see if he would notice the shift and follow me.

He did notice it, stepping forward to compensate our change in balance. I took that opportunity to move until his leg was inserted between mine. His answering smile had me wondering if he would take this opportunity to do something a little more risqué.

I was already fighting back the needy, hungry part of me that wanted to take this opportunity to seduce him with my body. Still, I gripped his leg with mine, startling him a little. Unfortunately, I have to shove away the urge to ride his thigh, to use a change in leverage to wrap my legs about his waist. Instead, I used the tips of my toes to trace the back of his muscled calf.

I heard his breathing catch at my ears, then I was lifted off my feet and spun twice. With no warning, he lifted me and placed me down gently on the couch before shifting the coffee table back toward the center of the room and sitting down beside me.

"So. We have the chemistry we need," he remarked, sounding more breathless than winded.

I couldn't help but grin, though there was more than one part of me hoping that I was getting to him in the self-same way he got to me. "Let's work on our song together tomorrow."

"Why are you so certain Shunsuì will allow us to dance together?"

I smirked. "Because, darling, I happen to know someone who has Shunsuì wrapped around their little finger," I told him. I kissed his slightly bristled cheek. "You have your three o'clock shadow, dear," I giggled.

He smiled at that. "Well, it is about the time for that, isn't it?"

I looked up at him, noting the dark shadows under his eyes. "You look really tired, Ichi. Maybe you should get go home and get some sleep."

He winced. "Renji's home, though, so there's no way in hell I'm going to get any sleep. When Renji's home, Shuhei's there. I really did not want to know certain things about my best friend that I unfortunately now know."

Good God, my brother was being an insensitive prick and robbing his roommate of sleep. I touched his hand. "I've got a spare bedroom. Go get some sleep." I pointed in the general direction of the room. "The medicine cabinet is fully stocked with a razor, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. You can stay here a while if you need to. I'm going to yell at my brother."

His eyes widened. "Shit. Really? I mean, you two look similar but Renji never told me you two were related!"

I smiled at him tiredly. "I assure you, it's a long and interesting tale and I'll tell you in the morning. Now, go get some sleep, Ichi."

I still had to play Big-Bad Older Sister before I could get some sleep.

* * *

_Oh, yeah, you_ know _I'm having fun torturing Ichi, lol. Nothing better! :P_

* * *

_Initial Post: March 2011 Edit: November 2012_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Let's just get straight into this one, okay? Sorry about the long wait for an update, my loves. Feel free to reread it!**  
_

* * *

_Ichigo:_

Oh sweet _Kami-sama_, I was screwed, and not in the fun way.

The decision had been out of my hands. It had been decided by _Keena_ that I would be staying the night here, at my best friend's older sister's apartment. The downside was I wanted her so bad I could practically _taste_ her. However, her virtue was in no danger from me: I had been so long without a normal, deep full-night's sleep that I would probably sleep through it if she _crawled on top of me_. It would just be awesome to sleep through the night without _sexual interuptus_, honestly.

Let's be honest: I was _thrilled _for Renji that he was finally with Shuei. He was my best friend. Seriously, I was totally happy to not have to hear him _whine_ –no, not whine, because Renji Abari never _whines_, but he sure does grumble a lot– about how Shuei never noticed him at work, how cute Shuei's ass was, how hot Shuei's tattoos made him… Trust me, the love-sick rantings went on and on. I had suffered through six months of nothing but non-stop lust and love-sickness since he first noticed the new dancer on staff.

I mean it: I was really happy for Renji.

That did not in any way mean that I needed to hear my roommate and his lover have sex. There's being open and okay with a guy's sexuality, and there's hearing him moan out his lover's name. Trust me, I _never_ wanted to know what my best friend sounded like during orgasm, but trust me: after the sexual marathons that went on in his room, I knew that _and_ how Shuei sounded when _he_ came. Not a happy thing, my knowing those things.

So I really had no complaints against her forcing me to stay in her apartment. I followed her directions down the hall and she followed me, pointing out the room that I was to occupy. Then she slipped into the next room, right beside the one she was letting me use. Since there was only one more door in the hallway and she'd already told me that the bathrooms were en suite, I assumed that it was her room.

I slipped into the room quietly, not bothering to shut the door behind me. A long sigh slipped through my lips as I sat down on the edge of the bed. I don't know why, but I was surprised to find that it was at least as comfortable as the one back home in my apartment. But that was Keena for you: it was all in the small touches with her. She liked to surprise you with the little things to make you comfortable.

Despite the luxury of her apartment, the walls were still thin enough to hear her phone and the tones on a ten-digit number dialed from her speed-dial. I could hear her voice through the wall, could hear the anger tingeing her tone.

"Ren," I heard her growl. "Stop messing with your boy-toy for five minutes so I can talk to you."

I could hear a short pause, but then she was growling at him again. "Listen up, _ototō-san_. You need to learn to have more respect for others. Aren't you wondering where your roommate is yet? I mean, seriously: it's four a.m. For all you know, he got raped in an alley somewhere."

The pause was heavy. I wondered what in the hell Ren would say to that one. Probably, 'Well at least he's getting laid; he gets bitchy if he goes too long without sex.'

I could almost hear her smile as she returned, "Well, at least _I'm _looking out for him. No one held him up in an alley, so I can't tell you that one. I'm currently tasked with keeping him safe from the sexcapades. He hasn't been sleeping so well." Her tone seemed to add, 'And I wonder why _that _could be'.

"Oh, that's bullshit, Ren! You know _exactly _how thin walls can be," she barked out. "Ya know, it's likely that he can hear every word I'm saying, but he's gonna be able to sleep through the night!"

He must have asked a question of her, and she returned, "Well, he was here anyway. We were discussing work. He agreed to partner with me for the couple routine."

There was another short pause and she shot back, "Look, Ren, I have school in the morning. Shut up and let me sleep!"

He obviously said something back, and she sighed. "I love you, too, you massive pain in my ass."

I heard two consecutive dull _thunks_ that I assumed came from her phone snapping closed and her tossing it on a table or something.

I relaxed and laid back on the bed for a few moments before she knocked at the room's door.

"Yeah?" I asked, sitting up to look that way.

She cautiously stuck her head into the room. "Well, I hope that I've taken care of that particular problem for you, but any time you need a place to crash, you're welcome here. I apologize for getting a little loud on yhr phone, as well: unfortunately, the walls are thin and I'm not as used to thinking about another person being here as I used to be." She looked a little sad, or maybe just a bit lonely. I never thought of her as a lonely person before; I guessed she just covered it better than others do. "That said, I require payment for this," she added, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh, yeah? What type of payment are you thinking of?" I asked, not sure if she was being serious or if she was kidding.

"I just need a little assurance that someone's in the next room. And the last person who slept in that bed as Renji, before he got a boyfriend, thank god." She gave me a soft smile. "So all I require a bedtime hug and a kiss," she added, a mischievous gleam dancing in her eyes.

A guy had to wonder: just how lonely was she? I mean, I had a hard time imagining a beautiful woman like herself to be alone at all when it came to male companionship. Then again, I was constantly harassed because of my looks, so maybe I knew exactly how she got to be alone. Maybe she was just like me: the kind of person that spends so much time on their own that they just don't realize how lonely they are until there's another person in the space that used to be their own.

Meanwhile, I still had yet to figure out if her 'required payment' was a joke or not. I mean, she certainly liked to kid, from how I'd seen her interact with people at work. But she could also be serious.

_Well, it's better to be safe than sorry on some things._ I'd rather not offend the person who'd offered me a place to stay. Besides, I'd done this for nearly two decades for my two younger sisters, so I really had no problem with it. And it wasn't like either of us were stepping out of the platonic zone, so it should be alright even if it _was_ a joke.

So I crawled out of the bed, wanting to blush because of my lack of grace in doing so, and rose to my feet. I crossed the small room in a series of long strides. When I stood before her, I wrapped my arms around her warmly and gently and pulled her closer against my chest before brushing a light kiss to her now-coloring cheek. "Good night, Kee-chan. And thank you."

"I was just teasing, Ichi," she muttered, her blush darkening. "Sweet dreams, Ichi-kun."

Then she did the cutest thing I had ever seen her do. She rose up on her tip-toes and nuzzled against my cheek before fluttering her long lashes against my skin. The barely-there brush of her lashes against my skin sent a bolt of heat straight to my groin. _Seriously?!_ I asked my impudent body and libido.

"Butterfly kiss," she murmured in explanation. Then, she turned on her heel and quickly returned to her own room, almost as if she were retreating.

Now, as I became almost painfully hard, I had one burning question on my mind: _Was she teasing me beyond all reason or does she really have no _idea_ what she does to me?_

* * *

_Renji:_

I kissed my boyfriend, feeling ecstatic and triumphant all at once. "_That_ was my sister. Care to guess where Ichi is tonight?"

Shuhei's smile was strangely tender. "So you know how your sister feels about him. Would _that _be why we've been having non-stop sex to the point of exhaustion for the last week?"

I could feel the heat in my cheeks. "Well, I have an in who knew Shusuì would ask for partner routines, and there's only one straight male dancer and one straight female dancer. We just… helped drive them together. And my sister surely told him she wasn't a lesbian, because she doesn't like operating under false pretences."

My boyfriend laughed at me –well, at my actions, at least. "You're like a meddlesome middle-aged woman, Renji-koi." He pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. "Shall we get some sleep for once?"

I curled up into his warmth and couldn't keep the smile off of my lips. I listened to the sound of his heartbeat until I fell asleep.

* * *

_Keena:_

I couldn't _believe_ I'd given him a butterfly kiss.

The only people who'd ever received that from me were _family_: my father, his lover, my mother, and my brother. I'd never given one to a lover, let alone someone was I was simply _interested_ in. I placed a strange value on traditions that I did only with my family, and I did not do them with or for anyone who was outside of that family unit, as untraditional as it might be.

I sighed and lay down on the bed for a moment, deciding to actually put on pajamas tonight. I usually slept nude, but that's not something you do with your brother's best friend in your guest room, unless you happen to be sleeping with him. And while I definitely want to, I'm not at the moment.

So I sat up and climbed out of my bed to gather clothes and plunk them on my bed before I headed for my bathroom to hop in the shower. Dancing was a sweaty business to be in, after all, and I had always preferred to not to wake up smelling like it.

I enjoyed showers. Feeling clean could be quite a luxury sometimes. I'd grown up poor enough I'd gotten used to cold showers or often forgoing them all together, so now I turn up the heat as hot as I can stand it and I take around two or three a day. I hopped into the shower and felt the tension in my back melt away under the pounding rhythm of the massage head on the shower.

I stepped out feeling like an entirely new being and wrapped myself in a towel before heading into my room to dress for bed. I dropped the towel to the floor as I bent over pick up the first item of clothing I was going to put on.

"Hey, Kee-chan–" Ichigo started from the doorway where I'd evidently forgotten to close the door.

I turned to face him instinctively.

He went pale before blushing deeply/

I pulled the long t-shirt I'd laid out over my head and tugged the hem down as far as it would go, which was about mid-thigh. "Yes?" I asked.

He blushed harder.

I smiled. "You know, for a person who takes of his own clothes for a living, you sure blush like a virgin at the sight of a naked girl," I teased lightly. "I mean, jeez, how many times have you seen me dance, Ichi-kun?"

"But this was accidental! And, besides: you usually aren't completely naked when you strip. Are you going to tell me you wouldn't blush upon unexpectedly stumbling on a naked person?" he asked sharply.

"Actually, I don't. The only thing I really blush if stumble upon it is sex, dear." I gave him a weak smile. "Sorry about leaving my door open, though. I'm so used to living alone that I don't even think about it. You're lucky I even thought about wearing pajamas, Ichi-kun. I mean, I don't, usually."

His blush revived itself at my careless comment. "Y-you mean you u-usually sleep nude?" he asked, only faltering twice but staring at the floor.

"Yeah. I'm used to being alone, and I happen to be very comfortable with my own nudity." I chuckled. "And I'm making this worse, aren't I? See when I get tired, anything and everything I think seems to roll off my tongue without even checking in with my brain." I crossed the room and gave him a hug and a kiss. "Get some sleep, Ichi-kun."

He reluctantly wrapped his arms around me and returned the hug. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's just weird knowing that you have nothing on beneath that," he finished, a blush still staining his cheeks.

I ruffled his hair and laughed. "See, I like that you can still blush when confronted by a naked woman," I returned, brushing a kiss across his lips without a single thought.

He blushed even harder and kissed my forehead like my father often had. "Good night, Kee-chan."

"Sweet dreams," I told him, drawing back, putting some distance between us to I wouldn't do something else I may regret later.

He blushed and mumbled something about dreams before starting back toward his room.

I laid down on my bed and didn't put on any other clothes as I notices his scent clung to my sleep-shirt. I smile and set my alarm clock before falling asleep with a smile for the first time in weeks.

* * *

**Yep. She's a tease, lmao. Let's just say she's... inspired by some of my own tendencies, lol.  
**

**But it's cute how she accidentally makes things worse on him XD**

**_So review, and feed the beastie! Who knows! You might get a new chapter sooner that way :P_  
**


	4. Chapter 4

_**I'm back again to prove that evil (and my story ideas) never die :P**_

_**So where do we find our Ichi-Berry now?**_

_**Guess you better read and find out, huh? :P**_

_**PS: This is the first place my M rating comes in handy :heart:**_

* * *

_Ichigo:_

Keena straddled my hips, laughing melodically as she came up to kiss my lips. I groaned, loving the feel of her skin against mine. Her lips descended on mine lightly, teasingly, then she deepened the connection, adding pressure invitingly. I tongued the seam of her lips, begging without words for a chance to taste her.

She murmured something against my lips, then opened at my request, flicking her tongue against mine before quickly retreating. My tongue chased hers into her mouth and she made a sweet sound as I traced her teeth with my tongue, then swirled my tongue across the roof of her mouth.

Fingers tangled deep in my hair while her other hand slid down to cup my neck. I caressed her cheek with one hand, sliding back to touch a few wild strands of hair, brushing against her ear.

She released a sweet moan and slanted her mouth against mine, the hand she'd used to cup my neck sliding down and then across my shoulders before heading down my chest, between us. I drew off her lips only to bring my lips against her ear, first gently brushing the skin, then tonguing the lobe of her ear. She released an eager sound, her head lolling back a bit as her hand increased trailed lower and lower.

I nipped gently at her ear lobe of her ear and she moaned again, lower and deeper. Then she wrapped her hand around my cock and began to tease me to the breaking point and beyond. I felt the pleasure coil tightly in my belly. Then I was seeing stars, coming hard, moaning her name like a prayer.

She smiled over me and kissed my lips softly. Leaning in to whisper in my ear, she said, "Now wake up, Ichigo."

I sat straight up in bed, my eyes wide open as they struggled to focus in the darkness. Once I was wide awake, my mind quickly tried to reconcile what I saw with my room. I let myself fall backwards gently against the pillows as I began to remember exactly _where_ I was. Then I realized what the sticky feeling was and felt my cheeks get warm, even though there was no one there to see me.

Great. My first wet dream since I was 17, and I had it in the guest room of a girl who probably didn't even _perceive_ me in such a manner.

I switched on the lamp on the bed-side table to check the damage. The good news was that I had come in my boxers. The bad news was that they were the only pair I had at the moment. Looking at the clock on my cell-phone, I sighed. Seven-twenty. Keena was probably already up and moving. So much for avoiding embarrassment this morning.

I crawled out of the bed slowly, not willing to tempt my half-asleep brain to start in with the whole lack-of-coordination-in-the-morning thing. Wincing and wrinkling my nose a bit, I pulled my discarded jeans back on before pattering into the living room.

In my peripheral vision, I noticed that the furniture all seemed to be back where it had started last night. It seemed she'd reorganized her furniture while I'd slept this morning. This things I noticed from the corner of my eye and the back of my mind, because the rest of me was all too focused on _her_.

Keena sat crookedly in an arm-chair, her legs draped over one arm and her back against the other. Pale denim-encased her mile-long legs and the soft black tank top stretched over her high breasts as she looked down at the textbook in her lap, rectangular-framed glasses perched on her nose, sipping her coffee.

She looked refreshed, adorable, and all together wonderful. It was no wonder that my eyes couldn't escape her gravity to look anywhere else.

My mouth went dry as a bone when she looked up at me. "Good morning, Ichi-kun. Did you sleep well?"

I nodded dumbly, not willing to embarrass myself with words because I knew they would be jumbled. She was too distracting for it to be otherwise.

A smile inched slowly across her lips and I found myself desperately wanting to trace them. "Make use of the shower if you like. There should be some of Ren's clothes in the dresser in the room you slept in, so go ahead and help yourself."

"What are you, a mind reader?" I asked, bewildered.

"Nope. Ren is _always_ bitching about how neat you are around the apartment, how you won't even wear day-old clothes like he is perfectly content to do, and that you're the same size and yet you won't let him barrow your clothes," she told me, laughing at the last part. "You're my ototō-san's best friend and roommate, so I get to hear all of his little rants and anecdotes about you. 'Sides, who _else_ do you think has the patience to go gift-shopping with him for your brithday?" Her smile was sweet and tempting all at once. "Anyway. Go ahead and shower. You'll feel better and it will help wake you up some." She smiled at me again, this time a bit distracted, then returned to perusing the textbook.

Smiling and shaking my head, I pattered back into the bedroom. From there, I left a trail of clothes that led to the bathroom and hopped into the shower, praying that the hot water would wake me up and the cold water might cool my libido.

* * *

_Keena:_

The walls of my apartment were thin enough that I could tell he had headed straight for the bathroom, apparently forgetting that he had to grab clothing.

I smiled. Ren never told me just how _cute _his roommate was in the morning, when he was still so sleepy and forgetful. Not to mention, he looked _delicious_ fresh out of bed in nothing but yesterday's pants, which really shouldn't have been possible but was, nonetheless.

I slid out of my chair, setting the textbook on the coffee table and went into my room, knowing I'd stashed some of Ren's better clothes there.

I opened a drawer and drug through until I came up, triumphantly, with skin-tight black jeans similar to the ones Ichi had worn the night before and a looser black top I knew would fall beautifully off his shoulders. It would allow me a tantalizing peek at that tan skin and toned muscle, not to mention the fact it would look sexier than all hell on him. Thinking that I would just leave the clothes and head back for the living room, I slipped into the room unannounced. Folding the clothes into a neat stack, I left them on the corner of the bed before turning to the dresser and digging out a pair of black silky boxers out of Ren's underwear stash. Smiling slightly, I set them on top of the stack of clothes.

I didn't hear the water running, but it didn't strike me as odd or as a possible interruption to my clothing mission until he opened the bathroom door with a burst of steam, a dark green towel draped neatly around his waist. Water clung to his hair and ran in rivulets down his muscular chest. He looked startled to see me, then noticed the clothes.

Color rose to crest his cheekbones. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Laughter bubbled past my lips and I stepped forward. After wrapping my arms around him, I tugged his head down so that I could press a kiss to his warm, damp cheek. As unfortunate –or perhaps _very _fortunate– aftereffect, my breast brushed against his damp chest _just enough to tease the nipples to hard peaks even as my crotch bumped against his groin. "Anytime, Ichi-kun," I told him warmly. "You are just too adorable in the morning."_

Untangling myself didn't take long or much effort. I was almost out the door when I looked back to toss a few parting words over my shoulder to the mostly naked male. "By the way, you look sexy as all hell in nothing but a towel, Ichi-kun."

I winked at him, then headed back into the living room. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my class work, but that was neither here nor there.

* * *

_Ichigo:_

I was pretty sure that my jaw had hit the floor, and I couldn't help but stare after her. There was no way in _hell_ she couldn't know how she affected me after that encounter. Yet, she seemed oblivious, even as she tossed flirty, provocative comments over her shoulder at me.

Even _if_ she wanted me, too, she was totally off limits to me. She was my best friend's sister. Call me old-school, but dating your friend's sister is just… weird. The same with dating your sister's friend. If and when such a relationship goes south, well, then someone is faced with a really tough choice and it's likely they'll choose their family. So yeah, I really liked Keena, but I wasn't willing to lose my best friend if things didn't work out as we wanted.

There was no long any denial of the fact I wanted her. If I'd still been on vacation from reality, my wet dream _and_ the "incident" in the shower proved that. Yet one hug, having that muscular body that was still soft in all of the right places pressed against me, and I found myself in the same circumstance I'd been in earlier.

I was suddenly struck by a strange thought: I knew next to nothing about Keena. It was absolutely astounding. I'd worked with her for around three years now. She was my best friend's older sister. Yet I couldn't really say that I knew much more than how she looked, how she danced, where she lived, and what her cell phone number was. I considered the woman my friend, if nothing else.

How could I know so little about her after all this time?

* * *

_Keena:_

When he walked back into the living room, I had the textbook back in my lap and I was staring at the dang thing, wanting it to _tell me_ what Doctor Hitsugaya wanted us to learn. Doctor Toshiro Hitsugaya was a genius, so his mind functioned in a completely different way than mine. I never understood the assignments quite as well as he wished, but I was doing better than nearly everyone else in the course. Biology could be annoying as hell, anyway, but having a renowned _genius_ teach it was like asking students to pay to have the privilege to be driven to suicide. It was somewhere closely related to 'shooting yourself in the foot'.

Besides the fact it was extremely difficult, you couldn't go to him for help. Well, I mean, you _could _show up at his office hours, but odds were he either wasn't there or he'd completely ignore you. Doctor Hitsugaya has a tendency toward being very surly to anyone he didn't know very well. I fell somewhere in the circle of people he knew well, but only because my father had arranged _play-dates_ –of all things– for me and the quiet genius when we were both very young. Toshi could be very sweet at times, but his mind ran circles around mine and he would die of shock if I ever told him what I did to support myself.

Warm arms slid around me, startling me a bit and interrupting my thoughts. I tilted my head back to look at the only man, aside from my family, that had ever seen the inside of my apartment.

He gave me a crooked smile. "Thanks, Kee-chan."

I knew what he meant. Saying 'Thanks for everything' was so cheesy, after all. I smiled at him. "The black suits you," I commented because it was true. It had been why I'd chosen that outfit for him.

He was silent for a moment. "So you're Renji's sister."

I watched him come around to sit next to me. "Do you want the whole story?"

He shrugged. "I have time if you have time."

I took a deep breath. "Leena Abarai was our mother. She was a sweet, sweet woman. She'd fallen in love with my father and when he left when I was barely conceived, she was heartbroken. She kept me a secret, in a way. She didn't tell Daddy about me, but my birth certificate plainly states my father's name. I was about two when my mother took a new lover. She kept me far from him, mostly because I think she knew what he was: nothing more than a common criminal who tried to steal what little we had. She testified against him and he was sent to prison, but my mother was pregnant.

"When I was three, Renji was born. His father's name was curiously left off the birth certificate. I think she didn't want Ren to think he was cursed to become what his father had been." I drew in another deep breath, knowing this part hurt the most to share. "We were a family. We didn't have much, aside from each other, but we were happy. Then Mama got sick. I was eight and Renji was five, always toddling hurriedly after me. Mama's cough wouldn't go away. And then I saw she was coughing up blood." I squeezed my eyes shut. "It horrified me. I knew exactly what she had, but we didn't have the money to treat it. I knew it could kill her; so did she.

"One morning, when I was nine, Mama wouldn't wake up. Ren had tried as best as a six year old can. I walked into the room and touched her hand. It was stiff and cold as ice. I remember weeping as I called the hospital. My mama was dead and I knew they couldn't save her. We stood in the hospital room as they declared our mother dead." I wiped at the tears on my cheeks. "But there were worse things to come. Mama had made very little, and we'd spent every penny on taking care of ourselves and keeping the water on in our tiny apartment. So Ren and I had nothing but each other. We slept in parks until we were brought into the police station. They fingerprinted us and ran them. Mama had been so scared we'd get lost that she had made sure that our prints were on file.

"My father was listed in the file they pulled up, so they called him. I'm sure he about died when he found out. Daddy's not much for surprises. But he was at the police station faster than legally allowable. We approached each other slowly, like strangers. Hell, we _were_ strangers." I paused, remembering the moments that followed it with startling clarity.

_" Hi, sweetie," Daddy greeted me. "What's your name?"  
"Keena Abari," I replied promptly, looking up at his face.  
His face turned ashen and he knelt before me. "Where's your mother, Keena?" he asked me softly, as though he knew the answer.  
"She died," I returned coolly. Renji began to cry so I wrapped my arms around him and stroked his back soothingly.  
He nodded sadly. "How old are you?"  
"I'm nine," I told him.  
He nodded again, then stood and turned to the officer. "What about the boy? Does he have family?"  
The officer checked but found nothing. Renji cried louder and I tried to sooth him, cooing words of comfort in his ear and holding him tightly to me._

"That night was the first time I saw influence in action. Daddy has quite a bit of pull, so he managed to bring me –and Ren– home with him that night. I'm pretty sure it scared the _crap_ out of his lover, who had no clue what to do with a pair of kids. I remember Daddy rolling his eyes and telling him, 'I don't know what I'm doing, either, so shut up and help or leave.' Wisely, his lover chose to talk to Renji, trying to make him smile. When Daddy got custody of the pair of us, we moved from the posh apartment to a large townhouse. I got to have my own room, which was an insane luxury for a little girl who grew up sharing the same room as he mother and little brother. Daddy did his best to spoil us both rotten, but he tempered it with discipline. What he said was law, which was how I ended up on play-dates, of all things, with a wonderful guy named Toshiro Hitsugaya. Toshi's the closest thing I have to a real friend outside of the club."

Ichi blinked. "_The_ Toshiro Hitsugaya? The genius?"

I eyed him warily. "You're not a fan-boy, are you?"

He gave me a look. "I met him once. It was like being in an icebox."

I laughed. "Toshi has to warm up to people. It's been only since we both became adults that I finally got him to call me by my nickname."

He smiled. "So what's your legal name?"

"Keena Miki Abari Shiro," I told him. "I chose the other last name myself because I didn't want people to like me or hate me based on my father."

He nodded. "What's your major?"

"Business Management with a minor in Accounting. I'm good at it." I smiled, glancing at the clock. "We'd better get going if I don't want to be late to my classes." I place my laptop in its bag and threw my textbooks into my messenger bag before sliding both on.

He smiled at that. "You look like you're ready for the zombie apocalypse."

I grinned. "Hells yeah!" I headed for the door. "You coming, Ichi-kun?"

He murmured something low enough I couldn't hear it, but nodded and followed.

_Kami, innuendo drips from my every word and he _still_ isn't making any moves. I'm going to have to get more physical._

* * *

_**She doesn't know what's holding the boy up XD**_

_**I made up the character who is Renji's and Keena's mom, their past, and the relationship between Keena's parents. Call it creative license :P**_

_**You'll notice I didn't do the big reveal yet, either :P Guess who her daddy is! lol**_


End file.
